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thecriticalreader's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Review:
I enjoyed my experience reading Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo; I found the characters and their family story to be interesting and the writing to be beautiful and powerful. Acevedo unapologetically uplifts the lives and experiences of her six main characters, portraying them as flawed but ultimately sympathetic people who live ordinary live despite their supernatural abilities.
Despite my overall positive reception of Family Lore, I imagine that it will not be everyone’s cup of tea. For one, it goes into descriptive detail of multiple bodily functions/fluids, which will undoubtedly turn many readers off. For another, it uses a lot of sentences, phrases, and words in Spanish, so people who cannot read Spanish may find themselves annoyed at frequently having to guess at the meaning or look up the phrases.
The book also uses a rather unconventional storytelling form; the different points-of-view are supposedly compiled by one character, Ona, an anthropology professor who wishes to capture her family’s lore in a book. However, it is easy to forget this, as many of the chapters feel like traditional third-person narratives told from the perspectives of the different women. On top of the switching of perspectives between six characters, the book tells the fifty or more years of family history in a non-chronological fashion. My guess is that the author does this to mimic the way family lore is passed down; that is, in piecemeal fashion from various viewpoints rather than as a singular, cohesive, narrative. The drawback to Acevedo’s approach is that it takes considerable focus on the reader’s part to keep track of a story with an already ambitious scope, which will probably frustrate some readers. While I was able to (more or less) follow the characters and the narrative, I think I did lose a bit of enjoyment and understanding from this format. I also found the anthropological aspect a little annoying, because it was never clear which parts of the story were truly from a person’s perspective and which were interpreted or fabricated by Ona to complete her book. I would have preferred a more traditional third-person narrative without Ona’s interjections, or a book that leans more heavily into the anthropological angle.
I enjoyed Family Lore and think it has a lot going for it in terms of the power of its narrative, characters, and writing. That being said, I think this book will not be for everyone due to some of the choices Acevedo makes for her storytelling.
The Run-Down:
You might like Family Lore if . . .
· You like multi-generational family sagas
· You enjoy or don’t mind some magical realism
· You appreciate when authors make untraditional storytelling choices in order to best uphold the experiences of their characters and community rather than to make the reader comfortable
· You don’t mind switching POVs and non-chronological narratives
You might not like Family Lore if . . .
· You cannot read Spanish and don’t like it when books have lots of untranslated Spanish words and phrases in them
· You dislike detailed descriptions of bodily functions and fluids
· You have a hard time following or dislike books that switch POVs between many characters, tell their stories out of order, and follow a long timeline
· You find it difficult to sympathize with or root for characters who are flawed and sometimes do bad things
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Excrement, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexism, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Animal death
Minor: Incest, Slavery, Classism, Grief, Colonisation, Miscarriage, and Police brutality
Graphic: Ophidiophobia, menstruationcassielaj's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Family Lore is a work of art. It is lyrical, magical, quiet and exuberant, full of love and hope and fear and all sorts of challenging emotions woven into a truly beautiful story.
The four Marte sisters and their two daughters have such distinct stories and voices that each chapter feels like a story of its own, yet they are interconnected so beautifully to create a complex and wonderful narrative of mothers and daughters, sisters and aunts and nieces, and the ways women love and care for one another across distance, time, and other, more internal barriers. Their magic, both individual and collective, fills this story in more ways than one. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time and going back to reference the many quotes I highlighted when I just need to read something incredible.
The four Marte sisters and their two daughters have such distinct stories and voices that each chapter feels like a story of its own, yet they are interconnected so beautifully to create a complex and wonderful narrative of mothers and daughters, sisters and aunts and nieces, and the ways women love and care for one another across distance, time, and other, more internal barriers. Their magic, both individual and collective, fills this story in more ways than one. I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time and going back to reference the many quotes I highlighted when I just need to read something incredible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Infidelity, Infertility, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Violence
cassimiranda's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an eARC of this book for review from Ecco via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
• The Brief: Family Lore is a warm contemporary family saga with expressive prose in Acevedo’s poetic style. It tells the story of a Dominican American family narrated by two generations women coping with their entwined histories while facing future heart break.
• This story will work well for readers who enjoyed the author’s lyrical writing in previous books and is interested in seeing it put to use in a more mature story.
Family Lore is a story about the generational trauma told from the perspective six women, most of whom are blessed with magical skills. One of the elder sister’s is planning a wake for herself. Given her ability to predict death, her family struggles to prepare for the worst, resolve their past suffering, and discover their futures.
I loved Acevedo’s writing and sentence structure here, just as in previous novels. The characters were interesting and believable – although the POV voices were not as distinct as they could have been. The plot and world building was interesting to the point that for once I didn’t mind unexplained magical realism which can be very hit or miss for me. I wasn’t enamored of the way the sex and masturbation scenes were written, but that is a personal preference. This was a beautiful novel, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
• The Brief: Family Lore is a warm contemporary family saga with expressive prose in Acevedo’s poetic style. It tells the story of a Dominican American family narrated by two generations women coping with their entwined histories while facing future heart break.
• This story will work well for readers who enjoyed the author’s lyrical writing in previous books and is interested in seeing it put to use in a more mature story.
Family Lore is a story about the generational trauma told from the perspective six women, most of whom are blessed with magical skills. One of the elder sister’s is planning a wake for herself. Given her ability to predict death, her family struggles to prepare for the worst, resolve their past suffering, and discover their futures.
I loved Acevedo’s writing and sentence structure here, just as in previous novels. The characters were interesting and believable – although the POV voices were not as distinct as they could have been. The plot and world building was interesting to the point that for once I didn’t mind unexplained magical realism which can be very hit or miss for me. I wasn’t enamored of the way the sex and masturbation scenes were written, but that is a personal preference. This was a beautiful novel, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Addiction
mrscorytee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Infertility
patelyne's review against another edition
This book was not for me.
First and foremost - with so much content related to various miscarriages and conception issues a content warning should have been a must. I would never had picked it up if I had realized.
Also, even with translating on the e reader, there were language barriers on phrases. I can’t imagine if I had tried to follow it on audio or with a hard copy.
Outside of that, the story itself was hard to follow. There were so many characters to keep track of, especially with how quickly it switched between the characters in the different generations.
(Arc from NG and Ecco)
(Arc from NG and Ecco)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Infertility
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Death, Classism, Infertility, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Grief
covergirlbooks's review against another edition
I was enthralled with the generational, multi-pov storytelling in this book. The supernatural abilities of the first two women were intriguing. Basically a forecaster of death and a lie detector. But then the third woman’s superpower was… well… her lady parts. And I quit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Infertility, and Infidelity
micalyia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Elizabeth has done it again! She has pulled me in and broke my heart. I am heartbroken.
Onya gathers the stories of the women in her family so thoughtfully. I felt every striking word and cried when these women hurt.
The story follows the lives of 4 sisters and their 2 daughters. We see them grow up and come into their magic and the implications of it. But we also see their relationships (whether beautifully fulfilling or dysfunctional) and their hopes and dreams actualized.
I cannot wait for y’all to read this book.
Onya gathers the stories of the women in her family so thoughtfully. I felt every striking word and cried when these women hurt.
The story follows the lives of 4 sisters and their 2 daughters. We see them grow up and come into their magic and the implications of it. But we also see their relationships (whether beautifully fulfilling or dysfunctional) and their hopes and dreams actualized.
I cannot wait for y’all to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Infertility, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Grief
bookrokosmos's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Infertility, and Infidelity
annreadsabook's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Family Lore is a strong, stirring novel that explores the stories we inherit, past lives we’ve lived, and the paths we choose to walk in light of all these things.
We’re initially introduced to Flor, an aging woman with the ability to predict when others will die—but her family is shocked when Flor herself requests that they give her a "living wake." Has Flor foreseen her own death? Or possibly the death of another loved one? In light of Flor’s request, her family, including her daughter Ona, grapple with both current and past family dynamics—and in doing so, perhaps they will all come out at the other side with some deeper meaning of themselves and their family.
I loved the ways that Family Lore explores experiences of womanhood across age and time; in this book we’re shown numerous women who all are forced to consider and reconsider what it means to fight for some semblance of agency and power in a world that so often is meant to grind women down. Acevedo paints a portrait of beautifully complicated women who struggle to be the centerpieces of the own story, be it through some working of inner magic, reliance on those around them, or remembrance of days past. And, she explores the ties that bind these women, to various and differing degrees, to the Dominican Republic.
Throughout the novel, Acevedo emphasizes the strength of the collective: each individual woman in this story of course has her unique struggles and desires that are often complicated and thwarted by other family members, but there is a profound power that emerges when these women are gathered together. There is beauty both in the individual and in the togetherness. And, of course, I have to shout out the incredible prose in this book—Acevedo is an amazing poet whose voice shines in the narrative form.
If you’re looking for a deeply character-driven story that is not terribly linear or fast-paced, you’ll be in for a treat with this one! Family Lore is out August 1—thanks so much Ecco Books for the gifted ARC!
We’re initially introduced to Flor, an aging woman with the ability to predict when others will die—but her family is shocked when Flor herself requests that they give her a "living wake." Has Flor foreseen her own death? Or possibly the death of another loved one? In light of Flor’s request, her family, including her daughter Ona, grapple with both current and past family dynamics—and in doing so, perhaps they will all come out at the other side with some deeper meaning of themselves and their family.
I loved the ways that Family Lore explores experiences of womanhood across age and time; in this book we’re shown numerous women who all are forced to consider and reconsider what it means to fight for some semblance of agency and power in a world that so often is meant to grind women down. Acevedo paints a portrait of beautifully complicated women who struggle to be the centerpieces of the own story, be it through some working of inner magic, reliance on those around them, or remembrance of days past. And, she explores the ties that bind these women, to various and differing degrees, to the Dominican Republic.
Throughout the novel, Acevedo emphasizes the strength of the collective: each individual woman in this story of course has her unique struggles and desires that are often complicated and thwarted by other family members, but there is a profound power that emerges when these women are gathered together. There is beauty both in the individual and in the togetherness. And, of course, I have to shout out the incredible prose in this book—Acevedo is an amazing poet whose voice shines in the narrative form.
If you’re looking for a deeply character-driven story that is not terribly linear or fast-paced, you’ll be in for a treat with this one! Family Lore is out August 1—thanks so much Ecco Books for the gifted ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Infertility
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